Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-04-13
THE CITY'S BREAD.
MACHINERY THAT ExCELS THE
HAND IN TURNING OUT LOAVES.

The Men, Teams and Capital Employed.
Difference Between Hand Made
Loaves and Those Made by Machinery.
Loaves in the Oven.
A loaf of bread-the most ingenious ma
chinery has been devised to make it; ma
chine1'y that viii beat the hand all TO pieces
in purity, quickness, and the quality of the
article turned out. In the large establish
ments machine mixes the sponge, makes
and kneads the dough. and dry heat in brick
conduits bakes it, while steam in coils of pipe
gives the delicious gloss to the upper crust.
To the average consumer a loaf of bread
seems to be just what its name implies; but,
then, one of the leading concerns in the city
turns out seventeen varieties Of bread-Eu-
reka, home made, Vienna, hotel, Pullman,
brick, pan, American cream, Canada, Jumbo,
new process corn, Graham, all rye half rye,
and Hamburg This does not include pum-
pernickel and schwarzbrod of the sturdy
Teuton, nor the savory horn bread of the
French gourmand
OF leading firms who have made the pro
duction of bread an object of big Investments
there are five in the city One of them en-
plovs sixty teams, 100 people, a capital of
100000, and turns out IA 900 loaves of bread
every day. The five firms. together with a
dozen wholesalers, have not less than 500
teams, 1,500 men and 81 .250. 900 employed.
while the estimate for the $40 retailers is
1000 teams, 2,G00 men and $3.50, 900 capital,
making a total of 1 800 teams, $500 men and
S2,0000O0. All these agencies are busy from
inht 1f H. I,t -
turn out the 100000 loaves of bread which.
an experts estimate says, are daily consumed
in Chicago, not to speak of rolls, buns, twists,
cakes and crackers.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE!
loaf of bread-an everyday occurrence,
yet what difference between the small baker
who sets his own sponge, kneads his own
dough with big, red knuckles not overclean,
and then goes to rest for nap with piece
of underdone dough for pillow, waiting
till the rise comes, and the steam bakery.
It's worth ones while to make trip through
one of the big establishments, especially at
this time of the year, when the streets are
cold and the sidewalks slippery. The spong-
ers, mealy all over, make the sponge-the
yeast and Just enough -four to give the mass
consistency-on huge, fiat tables, which are
rolled into warm room the temperature of
which is kept to certain degree with great
nicety
Then the sponge, after it has fermented,
together with the necessary -four for the
bake, is turned into hopper, where "con-
ductorsH with eccentric arms knead the
dough until it is perfectly ''even" and done =
The same hopper brings the dough to huge
troughs in the basement, where the mass is
allowed 70 rest for another 'rise" timed
with almost absolute certainty. Then the
benchmen mold the loaf. after the piece OF
dough has been weighed. This, of course,
has TO be done by land. and so experienced ie
a first class henchman that he has but rarely
10 add 10 or take from the lump of dough
which is To make the loaf of certain weight.
Twice the dough is worked over two
humps being handled at the same time by the
| benchman, whose left hand must be trained
as well as bis right. Then the oven man does
the baking. either in separate pans or on long
travs, according to the quality of the crust
desired.